PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Allegheny County, Pa., has been sentenced in federal court to 41 months in prison and restitution in the amount of $386,247 on her conviction of health care fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Jill E. D’Angelo, 45.

According to information presented to the court, D’Angelo was the office manager of the dental offices located on Old Clairton Road in Pittsburgh, Pa. D’Angelo collected and deposited cash co-payments from patients, billed insurers, and reconciled billings and payments. During the course of the scheme from May 2003 to May 2010, she embezzled cash co-payments totaling $168,335.41. She also used a computer program that sent invoices directly to insurance companies. D’Angelo inputted a large number of dental services that were not rendered by the dental offices thereby causing the insurance companies to pay for services not rendered. The insurance companies in turn sent checks to the dental office as payment for these never rendered services. D’Angelo intercepted the insurance company’s payments, forged the dentist’s name and deposited the fraudulent proceeds into her personal account. This part of the embezzlement totaled $306,703.72. The total amount embezzled by D’Angelo was approximately $475,039.13.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that due to the large sums of money embezzled and the betrayal of trust a 41-month sentence is necessary and appropriate.

Assistant United States Attorney Nelson P. Cohen prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of D’Angelo.